Traffic signal



Nov. 13, 1928. 1,691,126

Y l J. RANK ET AL TRAFFIC SIGNAL Filed Sept. 3, 1925 @fon fan/f #enr/h( Fan/f Patented Nov. 13, 19,278.

JOHN RANK AND HENRY w. RANK, or MiNNnAroLrs, ivrrNNiisorrrV TRAFFIC SIGNAL.

Application filed September 3, 1925. Serial No. 54,240

Our invention relates to tr'alic signals of the post type that are adapted to be rigidly set in the street and which are adapted to resist normal stress wit-hout bending but which, if struck by a vehicle, will deforin and read- .ily yield and move into an approximately horizontal position but will resume their direct or operative position when released from the engaging vehicle without vibration. Such trafliel signals, broadly considered, have hith-k erto beenproposed and produced, but they have either been ineffective or otherwise unsatisfactory in action or have been complicated and expensive in construction. The chief obj ect of this invention is the provision of a highly etficientand reliable traffic signal embodying the characteristics above noted and which is of simple construction, relatively low cost, not likely to get out o'li order or be damaged by a vehicle passing over the same due to its low resistance to bending when de formed, and which will be sure to resume its erect or operative position when released without vibrating; and, to the above ends, generally stated, the invention consists ot'the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described and delined in the claims; f

In theaccoinpanying drawings, which illustrate the invention, like ch aracters indicate like parte throughout the vseveral views.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view chiefly in elevation, but with some parts in vertical section, showing a trallic signal embodying our invention and the deformation of the post section in bending i i Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view in vertical section on the line 2-2of Fig. 1, some parts being shown in full;

Fie'. 3 is a fragmentary section.' taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1; y

Fig. 4 is a detail in horizontal section, on the line lmet of Fig. 1

Fig;` 5 is a detail in plan, showing a lower spacing head or bushing placed in thecasing or rigid body portion of the signal device;

Fig. 6 is a bottom plan view of the capfplug of the casing; y

Fig. 7 is a section on the line 7-7 of F ig; 3 showing the normal crosssectional area of the deformable post section; l

Fig. 7a is a View corresponding to Fig. 7,

but illustrating a slightly modiiied wall structure; nd t y, M

8 view inelevatmzii, trilt-'istie somewhat modified form of the signal device.

The construction illustrated in Figs. l toL 7, inclusive, will first be described. ln this structure, the signal device is in the nature of aieXible post made up of a rigid casing or section, a base plug or section, and a flexible tubularisection connecting the casing and base plug.k The flexible permanently integral, tubular post section employed in thissignal or indicating device is relatively inelastic longitudinally and of such normal cross-sectional area as to resist normal stress (such as a person leaning against the post, high wind pressure, etc.) without bending but which is des signed to readily bend under pressures even less than such normal stress to which these postsy are ,subjected when deormed'by impact oli a heavy vehicle. It will be seen that when a post, made in accordance with this invention, is thus formed that it will bend with decreasing resistance to stress as the cross-sectional area of the post is reduced at the point of bending, `as it approaches an approximately horizontal position and when l released will return to erect position without vibrating. The casing in this particular structure is made up ot four llat plates 9, preferablyot sheet metal, in rectangular par rangement and having outturned langesthat are, by nut-equipped bolts 10, clamped onto l corner strips 11 of rubber, wood or other suitable substance, which causes said strips to'act as buffers or shock-reducing devices.y Telescoped into the lower end oit the casing made up of the plates Qis a rectangular head 12 rigidly secured to thesaid plates,v preferably by machine screws 13-` This head 12 has a large internally threaded opening-14. `The upper end ofthe casing, as shown, is closed by a head or cap 15 having a square shank 16 telescoped into said casing and rigidly ses cured thereto by screws 17 or other suitable The lower post section or plug 18 must be anchored to a suitable base in the roadbed and,asf shown, said member has a threaded shank 19 screwed into a baseplat'e 20, which,

in turn,l is anchored to a conjor'etebase 21by nut flexing but resisting longitudinal stretching. In Fig. 7, said tube is shown as made up of outer and inner layers of canvas 23 and an interposed layer of rubber 23", while in Fig. 7a, said tube is shown as made up of outer and inner layers of rubber 23b and an interposed layer of canvas 2m. In Fig. 3, the numeral 23c indicates a coiled metal spring imbedded in the intermediate rubber layer 23". From what .has just been said, it will be understoodthat this. iiexible rubber tubular post may be built up or made in various diiierent ways.

The said flexible tube 23a constitutes a normally rigid but yielding connection between the basemember and the casing of the signal post or indicating device and, preferably, the said connections are made as follows: rllelescoped into the upper end of the flexibletube y 23v is a coupling tube or tubular nipple 25.

Surrounding the upper end of said `tube 23 is a clamping band 26, and passed through said clamping band, the upper endorl said tube 23, and the lower portion of the coupling ltube 25, are nut-equipped bolts 27; rlhe upper end of the coupling tube 25 is threaded `and is screwed into the threaded ooenirw 14 of the spacing head 12. p

Thelowerfpost section or plug 1,8 is also tubular, much lil-:e the couplingtube and the lower end of the flexible tube 23 `is telescoped onto the upper end of said lower section 18. The lower end of the tube 23 is rig- 1 idly but detachably secured to thetubular section 18y preferably by substantially the same means used to connect the upper end of said tube 23 to the coupling` tube 25 and,

' hence, it is only desirable here to note the lower clamping ring bolts 29. p

Itis evident that the post constructed as described will stand'in normally rigid upright or true vertical position., resisting bending under normal stress but that, if struck by an automobile or other vehicle, the tube 28 and nutequippod 23 will be deformed and will. then readily yield permitting the post to be bent into a horizontal position without breaking of the post withoutv serious damage to the post. Of course, under very violent impacts, even a yielding post may sometimes be damaged, but the postwill seldom be damaged to a serious extent and,`at any rate, will not seriously damage the automobile striking the same and will not endanger the lives of persons in the machine. Of course, when released, the deformed flexible tube 23 will instantly throw the post back toits erect or Voperative position without vibration.l The buer or cushion strips 11, at the corners of the casing, will reduce to a minimum the impact and lessen the liability of damage to the signal devic'e'when struck by an automobile or vehicle..k y j yThe post yjust rdescribed is especially Ldeand signed for use inconnection with illuminated yStop and Go signals exposed through letent invention and may be such as hitherto employed and quite generally known. The control wires in this arrangement are adapted to be passed through the tubular members 18 and 25 ano may be brought out from the cavity 211 of the concrete base 21 through a lead passage 2lb. Obviously, the flexible tube 23 affords anideal housing for the wires thus brought into the casing, for such wires will readily follow the bend of the tube when the signal postis Vforced into-a horizontal position, and there will be no short kinking of the wires. l l

The signal device or post illustrated in Fig. 8 diers from that illustratedin Figs.

1 to 7, in that the upper or 'rigid casing is in the form of a metal'tube or cylinder 30 provided with circumferentially spaced light passages 31. rlheinanner of connecting the members ofthis post may be the same asthat illustrated in the views before described, Vthe only difference being thatthe head inserted into the lower end of t-he tubular casing 30 will have a cylindrical exterior instead of the rectangular exterior of the head 12, shown in detail in Fig. 5. The signal device or post shown in Fig. 8 is of the kind used, not to iiash Stop and Go signals, but simply to afford a Warning signal or indicator at crossings. 1 i

The simplicity of the construction described is obvious. Not only is the device simple, buthighly eflicient. No springs orV complicated arrangement of mechanism yare required. The device may, therefore, bevmanufactured at comparatively low cost and quickly and easily installed. f

What we claim is: y

1. A traliic signal in the form of a post and comprising an anchoring base', a hollow rigid upper section havingsignfbearing elements, and a resilient integral tubular section derformable in cross-section andl connected to saidv anchoring base and said rigidupper sect-ion and adapting the latter to be readily turned from a normal upright posit-ion vinto an approximately horizontal position when the tubular section is deformed.

2. A traliic signal in the form .of a post and comprising an anchoring base, al hollow rigid upper section having sign-bearing elements, andl a resilient integraltubular section of fabric reinforced rubber connected to said anchoring base and said rigid upper section and adapting the latter to be readily` turned from a normal upright position into an approximately horizontal position when the tubular section is deformed.

3. A traffic signal in the form of a post and comprising an anchoring base, a hollow rigid upper section having sign-bearing elements, and a resilient integral tubular secn tion connected to said anchoring base and said rigid upper section and adapting the latter to be turned from a normal Vupright position into an approximately horizontalposition, said rigid upper section being rectangular in cross section and provided at its corners with projecting buffers.

4. A nonvibrating self-arighting street traiic indicator in the form of a post, comprising a resilient post member deformable in cross-section and having a rigid anchoring base, said post member being of such cross-sectional area as to resist normal stress Without bending but bendable under reduced stress when deformed. y

5. A nonvibrating, self-arighting street traiiic indicator in the form of a post, comprising a resilient tubular post member deformable in crosssection and having a rigid anchoring base, said post member being of such normal cross-sectional areas as to resist bending under normal stress and readily bendable Where the cross-sectional area is reduced when deformed under abnormal stress. G. A non-Vibrating, sel-arighting tralic signal in the form oi' a post having a4 rigid anchoring base and a signal bearing upper section, and a permanently integral resilient tubular intermediate section secured to said anchoring base and providing a normally rigid support for said upper section, said tubular section being of such normal crosssectional area as to resist bending under normal stress and capable of flattening in bending intermediate its ends under abnormal stress, whereby resistance to bending decreases in proportion to the decrease in crosssectional area at the point of attening.

7. A bendable self-arighting street tralic indicator in the torni of a post, comprising a rigid anchoring base, and a resilient transversely deformable post section secured to said base, said post section being relatively inelastic longitudinally and of such cross-sec` tional area as to resist normal stress Wit-hout bending but bendable under reduced stress When deformed. t 8. A bendable self-arighting street traiiic indicator in the form of a vertical post, comprising a flexible permanently integral tubular member deformable in cross-section and having a' rigid anchoring connection with the ground, said tubular member being of such cross-'sectional area as to be substantially rigid under normal stresses but bendable un*- der stress equal to normal stresses when defOrmed.

9; A bendableV self-arighting street traiiic indicator in the form of a vertical post, comprising a flexible permanently integral tubular post member anchored at one end to the ground and of such cross-sectional area as to be substantially rigid until subjected to such stress as Would cause the Wall of said tubular post member to deform permitting bending of the post at the point of deformation Wit-h materially less stress than is required to deform the post Wall.

In testimony whereof We aiiix our signatures.

JOHN RANK. HENRY W. RANK. 

